Chapter five
Chapter five
Wow, I love summer! More time to write, and more time to sleep in. And you all completed the goal of 25 reviews! Thanks everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own SRMTHFG, I do not own Brothers Grimm.
Thank you to my beta dragonqueenc who also happens to be one of my best reviewers!
The following reviewers have reviewed with every chapter or most of the chapters.
Dragonqueenc
ChuchiChan
DarkJinmay13
Miss Hal Gibson
Duskblood
ElasticPoodle
Thank you guys for all of your reviews, and to all my reviewers and readers as a whole, thank you as well, this story has been my favorite to write and I'm glad that so far everyone else seems to like it too.
5555555555555555555555Chapter 5! 555555555555555555555555555555555
"That creature in the forest wasn't easy to beat," Nova remarked to the team as they were seated around the main room, each member in his or her respected chair. It was almost noon and they were discussing last night's events. "He looked weak though."
"Appearances can be deceiving Nova, don't forget that." Antauri remarked without even looking up. He was deep in thought wondering at the possible reasons the forest would start acting up. According to Allegra the forest had been harmless in the past few generations. "Otto, I think we should take a look at that story in your book of fairy tales."
"You can't be serious Antauri!" Gibson's voice was loud and slightly high pitched as his annoyance laced his voice. "How can a book of pure fantasy help us?"
"Well lets see, first the story has an enchanted yet evil forest in it, and amazingly, so does this forest! It has a large tower in the story, and according to Allegra so does the forest, and lets not forget that their were monsters in the story and monsters in the same forest!" Sprx's voice was just as loud as Gibson's now. "Call me crazy but I think there are some similarities."
"Alright, you're crazy." The team tried to hide small smiles of amusement as Gibson said this. "That book is a fairy tale books, sure there are similarities but-"
"That's enough Gibson, lets just check the book too see if their are any ways to get rid of the monster and save Allegra's sister and the others. "Alright," Chiro looked around but no one contradicted him.
"By the way, how is Allegra doing?" Sprx asked.
"Antauri and I went to her house today to check on her, she was still asleep, but Layla said she was fine. She should be up in a few hours." Chiro said watching Otto. The little green monkey had been searching in his globe chair for something and had finally come up for air with the book of fairy tales.
"Here it is!" Otto opened the book to a certain page and handed the book to Antauri who looked intently at the pages.
555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
"Once there was a peaceful forest, full of life and people. The race of people who lived here had a large empire with a just and kind king.
When the time came for the king to find a wife the people were amazed with his choice. She was a beautiful woman who lived in a land far from their empire, her face was pale and unblemished and her eyes and hair jet black, she always wore beautiful dresses and garments and no one ever seemed to see her looking anything but her best. Slowly though they noticed that the new queen was more aware of her great beauty then the people were. Often enough they noticed that her eyes would pass over some of them when they talked to her, only certain people did she talk too, all of the either rich or beautiful. And even then she showed only the most minimal respect and courtesy the deserved.
The people, angered and upset, approached their king in hopes that he would put his new wife in line, but their once kind king only saw his new brides flawless skin, and only heard her light voice. He ignored his people and they responded in anger and violence. Many leaving their beloved kingdom in the forest, others to voicing their opinions and to destroying parts of the city the beautiful but vain queen enjoyed.
Soon enough the king sent down soldiers to put down this rebellion, and although he still didn't answer the pleas of his people, they did not try to rebel again. Slowly the kingdom became tame and quiet, and the king was able to look and listen to his queen in silence, and the queen was able to look at her reflection in peace.
One day though, the royal family's peace and the kingdoms submission came to an end, but through the vain queen's beautiful hand. Through the years the queen kept a beautiful eye on her appearance, and those that caught her eye in the kingdom. She began noticing how her once handsome husband was getting old and withered, how in the kingdom the young men were becoming more and more handsome, but most importantly, how some of the young ladies of the kingdom were growing more and more beautiful.
One day, the queen came out of her palace and to the center of the city. Once sparkling and clean, the city, though still clean and beautiful, had lost some of it's elegance it once had when the king had paid attention to it. The people of the city had by now spent their rage and stood still too listen to what the queen had to say. She told them she wanted to bring some of the young woman to the palace to become attendants of herself. And that she had chosen a select few for this job. As she called off the names, the kingdoms most beautiful ladies came forward, eager to go to the palace. And so they went, without a single word of goodbye to their parents, to follow the majestic queen. Thirteen in total, never to see their beloved city again. For that night, they met their death in the queen's chambers. No more would the queen be threatened by another's beauty. And strangely enough, the queen's own beauty seemed to grow.
After the maids' death, the queen moved onto her husband, the king. Why should a jewel like her be trapped by vows to a wrinkled old man when she, in all her radiance, looked as young as when she had first married him. And so, in the night, the now old king died. And soon enough, without even a month of mourning, the queen married again, to a handsome village youth.
Soon enough though, the forest seemed to take matters into its roots, a deadly plague swept into the kingdom, taking some lives, but leaving others, many, scarred for life. The queen, in horror, saw that she too had succumbed to the plague as her beauty began to decay as did her unbelievable youth. In a rush to protect her self, rather then the kingdom she has put into her own responsibility, she had builders, both sick and healthy, build her a magnificent tower. As it was being built, she went to her room and got her belongings, among them, a book. A spell book, one of dark and light sorcery, but the light magic was for useless things to the queen's intentions. Why would she want a spell to bring good crops or to bring protection against an army to her city? No, she favored the dark magic, the spells for everlasting beauty and youth, for life and for quick deaths. And this was the book that kept her in control. Now, before she put herself away in her tower, she had to cast one more spell. That was all she had time and resources to cast. She picked the spell of life, she needed to live. For the spell to work, she must sacrifice some of her people, filled with life, to gain back her own.
The queen returned to the site where her builders were busy in their work. She noticed how quickly they were losing strength to the plague. Quickly she hired more forced, and sending some to her work of the tower, she sent the others for a new job. They must build thirteen large upright crypts. To place thirteen of her beloved builders the queen told the workers. The builders seemed to believe this as thirteen of their number seemed to be most ill. As they worked on the tower and the crypts the tower was filled with supplies to keep the queen alive, as there would be no door to the tower. The queen herself would have a rope ladder to climb down from the window when the danger had passed.
As they worked, the queen quickly walked out of sight and into the city. Looking around she began to find healthy young women, and one by one took them back to the crypts, all the while telling them that she wanted to save them by letting them live in her tower with herself, and all she wanted in return was that they serve her. And serve her they did, one bye one being placed into each crypt as they were finished and left alone by the workers. The stone door closing off any noise of screams from the young women. Finally, all but one crypt was filled, and for this one she went back to her new husband. He believed that his wonderful and beautiful wife would take him into her tower, that he would live with her for as long as his life lasted.
His life changed sooner then he thought as he found himself being shown a strange and slightly startling crypt. As he looked inside to get a closer look at the impressive architecture, according to his beloved, the stone door was shoved in place, blocking off light, and life. The young queen smiled a cold and chilly smile. He would be her servant now; he would help her rise again once this plague ended. And with that satisfying thought, she walked to the workers and got ready to enter the tower.
At long last it was finished. She stepped inside and gave orders that after the tower was finished, neither it nor the crypts should be touched. Ever. The workers looked at her and began to ask her about putting the thirteen plague ridden victims into the crypts, but the queen just flashed a dazzling smile and shook her head before repeating herself. And with that, she ascended the stairs to her richly furnished room and began the life spell.
Days past, the kingdom crumbled as the plague claimed all, and soon the forest took over. Turning the once majestic city and kingdom to dust and soon to new seedlings, but the tower still stood, as did the upright crypts
5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
Antauri's voice ended there and he looked up at the team. They stared at each other in silent horror.
"What kind of fairy tale book is that Otto?" Sprx's voice held a slight tremor as he looked at him.
"All the other fairy tales were better, they had happy endings and there was this really good one about this girl who lost a glass slipper and-" Antauri cut him off.
"The story's author is the same author of the book and all other stories are from different authors."
"Well that author had issue's placing this story in a kid's book!" Sprx slightly growled.
"Issue's or not, the story will help us somehow." Antauri closed the book and handed it to Otto who began to flip through the pages to the story about the girl who lost the glass slipper.
"Well an hour's past, should we see if Allegra is awake? She may have more information about this story." Gibson got up and the tension broke slightly as the team got up and headed for the door.
555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
"That's the most detailed version I've ever heard." Allegra said while smothering a yawn. She was woken up by the always hyper Otto jumping onto her bed and her mother suppressing a grin at the doorway along with the rest of the team. She was a lot more awake now that the full story was told, and the horror of the story helped quite a bit. "It makes sense, though, the upright stones are smoothed and unnatural, they could very well be crypts."
"We need to see the tower and the crypts, but it could take days to pinpoint the location of that area of the forest, we need you to guide us Allegra." Gibson said seriously.
"If you feel up too it, we won't force you." Nova put in quickly glaring at Gibson feeling that he had said the words a little insensitively. After all, last night Allegra was almost killed.
"I'll go, I need to go, and it might be the only way to get Tessa back." Allegra's eyes were filled with a determined look.
"But," Layla looked scared. "Allegra that monster almost killed you! You can't go back into the forest." She took a breath, already knowing what her daughter would say.
"Mom, I'm the only one here who can help. I need to go, you know that. I'll come home safely and hopefully with Tessa. No, not hopefully, we will come back with Tessa and the others as well." She looked at the Hyperforce with determination shining in her eyes that seemed as similar as their own during a battle. They nodded back with promise. It was time to find the missing girls.
5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
Okay, I know the fairy tale told was a little nerve wracking. (And it probably wasn't the best written fairy tale either) It was a little spooky to write and when I finished it I knew it would defiantly not be in a fairy tale book, especially when there wasn't a happy ending to it. Maybe the end of this story will give it the ending it needed.
Yes the story is like the tale in the Brother's Grimm movie, I tried to make it slightly the same and change it too. I hope I did okay on it.